2026 LigaPro Serie A
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 20 February – 13 December 2026 |
| Matches | 44 |
| Goals | 78 (1.77 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Bruno Miranda (4 goals) |
| Biggest home win | U. Católica 3–0 Leones (8 March) |
| Biggest away win | LDU Quito 0–2 Macará (1 March) Manta 0–2 Ind. del Valle (2 March) Leones 0–2 LDU Quito (17 March) |
| Highest scoring | Ind. del Valle 3–1 Mushuc Runa (7 March) |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of 22 March 2026(2 of 3 matches finished). | |
The 2026 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A, known as the 2026 Liga Ecuabet for sponsorship purposes, is the 68th season of the Serie A, Ecuador's top tier football league, and the eighth under the management of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol del Ecuador (or LigaPro). The season began on 20 February and is scheduled to end on 13 December 2026.[1][2]
Independiente del Valle are the defending champions.
Format changes
The format for the 2026 season was approved by the Council of Presidents of LigaPro on 15 December 2025. The tournament retained its two-stage setup, but with minor changes to the final stages: in the first stage the 16 participating teams will play each other twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 30 matches, and teams will be split according to their placement into two hexagonals and one quadrangular group for the final stages. The top six teams will play the first hexagonal in which they will play each other twice to decide the season champions as well as three Copa Libertadores berths and three Copa Sudamericana ones, while the group in which the last berth to the Copa Sudamericana will be decided was downsized from six to four teams, those being the ones placing from seventh to tenth place in the first stage. The bottom six teams will play a hexagonal to decide the two teams that will be relegated to Serie B at the end of the season. Although points from the first stage will still be carried over to the final stage, this time the top team at the end of the first stage will not be assured of qualification for the Copa Libertadores group stage.[1]
Teams
Team changes
Sixteen teams compete in the season, the top 14 teams from the 2025 LigaPro Serie A and the top two teams of the 2025 Ecuadorian Serie B. Técnico Universitario and Vinotinto Ecuador were relegated from Serie A after finishing in the bottom two places of the relegation group of the previous season,[3] and were replaced by the second tier champions Guayaquil City and runners-up Leones. Guayaquil City returned to the Serie A after two seasons with three matches to go after a 3–1 win over San Antonio on 12 October 2025,[4] whilst Leones clinched a first-ever promotion to the top flight with one match left on 24 October, after Gualaceo was deducted nine points due to match-fixing.[5]
Although El Nacional avoided relegation on sporting merit, they were administratively relegated to Serie B on 16 December 2025 after defaulting on payments to their creditors on three occasions.[6] The decision caused the club to place last in the 2025 season, thus sparing Técnico Universitario from relegation, which was ultimately confirmed on 9 January 2026.[7][8]
Stadia and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aucas | Quito | Cooprogreso Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda | 21,689 |
| Barcelona | Guayaquil | Monumental Banco Pichincha | 57,267 |
| Delfín | Manta | Jocay | 21,000 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Cuenca | Banco del Austro Alejandro Serrano Aguilar | 18,549 |
| Emelec | Guayaquil | George Capwell Banco del Austro | 40,020 |
| Guayaquil City | Guayaquil | Christian Benítez | 10,152 |
| Independiente del Valle | Quito | Banco Guayaquil | 12,000 |
| LDU Quito | Quito | Rodrigo Paz Delgado | 41,575 |
| Leones | Atuntaqui | Olímpico Jaime Terán | 10,000 |
| Libertad | Loja | Reina del Cisne | 14,935 |
| Macará | Ambato | Bellavista Universidad Indoamérica | 16,467 |
| Manta | Manta | Jocay | 21,000 |
| Mushuc Runa | Ambato | COAC Mushuc Runa | 8,200 |
| Orense | Machala | Banco de Machala 9 de Mayo | 16,456 |
| Técnico Universitario | Ambato | Bellavista Universidad Indoamérica | 16,467 |
| Universidad Católica | Quito | Olímpico Atahualpa | 35,258 |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aucas | Norberto Araujo | Lotto | |
| Barcelona | César Farías | Marathon | Pilsener, Discover Card, 1xBet |
| Delfín | Juan Zubeldía | Baldo's | |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Jorge Célico | Lotto | Banco del Austro, Chubb Seguros |
| Emelec | Vicente Sánchez | Adidas | Zapping |
| Guayaquil City | Pool Gavilánez | Astro | Ecuabet, Zamofruit Company |
| Independiente del Valle | Joaquín Papa | Marathon | Ecuabet, Banco Guayaquil, MG Motor, Chubb Seguros |
| LDU Quito | Tiago Nunes | Puma | Banco Pichincha |
| Leones | Édison Méndez | Umbro | Isuzu, San Francisco COAC Ltda. |
| Libertad | Juan Carlos León | Macón Sport | Grand Aviation |
| Macará | Guillermo Sanguinetti | Boman | San Francisco COAC Ltda, DFSK |
| Manta | Javier Carvajal | Boman | Atún Isabel, Terminal Portuaria de Manta, Tadel S.A. |
| Mushuc Runa | Paúl Vélez | Boman | Mushuc Runa COAC |
| Orense | Agustín Robles (caretaker) | Elohim | Banco de Machala, IncarPalm |
| Técnico Universitario | Francisco Usúcar | Vaz Sport | San Francisco COAC Ltda. |
| Universidad Católica | Diego Martínez | Umbro | Fundación Crisfe |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First stage | ||||||
| Técnico Universitario | Alejandro Cortez | End of caretaker spell | 29 November 2025 | Pre-season | Francisco Usúcar | 9 January 2026[9] |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Norberto Araujo | End of contract | 20 December 2025[10] | Jorge Célico | 23 December 2025[11] | |
| Independiente del Valle | Javier Rabanal | 21 December 2025[12] | Joaquín Papa | 17 December 2025[13] | ||
| Leones | Giovanny Espinoza | Demoted to assistant manager | 1 January 2026[14] | Édison Méndez | 1 January 2026[14] | |
| Aucas | Juan Pablo Buch | Sacked | 4 January 2026[15] | Norberto Araujo | 9 January 2026[16] | |
| Barcelona | Ismael Rescalvo | 5 January 2026[17] | César Farías | 7 January 2026[18] | ||
| Emelec | Guillermo Duró | Mutual agreement | 3 February 2026[19] | Vicente Sánchez | 5 February 2026[20] | |
| Orense | Raúl Antuña | 6 March 2026[21] | 12th | Agustín Robles[i] | 6 March 2026[21] | |
- Notes
- ^ Caretaker manager.
First stage
The first stage began on 20 February and is scheduled to end on 13 September 2026.[22]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independiente del Valle | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 13 | Advance to Championship hexagonal |
| 2 | Macará | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 10 | |
| 3 | LDU Quito | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 10 | |
| 4 | Universidad Católica | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | |
| 5 | Libertad | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 9 | |
| 6 | Barcelona | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 9 | |
| 7 | Técnico Universitario | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | Advance to Copa Sudamericana group |
| 8 | Deportivo Cuenca | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | |
| 9 | Delfín | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | |
| 10 | Orense | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 5 | |
| 11 | Guayaquil City | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 5 | Advance to Relegation hexagonal |
| 12 | Emelec[a] | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | |
| 13 | Manta | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 4 | |
| 14 | Aucas | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
| 15 | Mushuc Runa | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | |
| 16 | Leones | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Away goals for, 5) Head-to-head record, 6) Drawing of lots.
Notes:
Results
Top scorers
- As of 22 March 2026 (2 of 3 matches finished)
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno Miranda | Aucas | 4 |
| 2 | Darío Benedetto | Barcelona | 3 |
| 3 | Franco Ayunta | Delfín | 2 |
| Nicolás Leguizamón | Deportivo Cuenca | ||
| Romario Caicedo | Emelec | ||
| Aron Rodríguez | Independiente del Valle | ||
| Djorkaeff Reasco | Independiente del Valle | ||
| Emerson Pata | Independiente del Valle | ||
| Matías Perelló | Independiente del Valle | ||
| Vilinton Branda | Libertad | ||
| Janner Corozo | LDU Quito | ||
| Federico Paz | Macará | ||
| Agustín Herrera | Orense | ||
| Mauricio Cagua | Técnico Universitario | ||
| Matheo Castaño | Técnico Universitario |
Source: Futbolecuador[24]
References
- ^ a b "Con mínimos cambios: se hizo oficial el nuevo formato de torneo para la LigaPro 2026" [With minimal changes: the new tournament format for the 2026 LigaPro was made official] (in Spanish). Olé. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Palacios, Juan José (21 December 2025). "EL CALENDARIO OFICIAL: Las fechas de inicio y finalización de la LigaPro 2026" [The official schedule: The 2026 LigaPro's start and end dates] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ "El otro descendido: Técnico Universitario acompañará a Vinotinto para jugar la Liga Ecuabet Serie B" [The other relegated team: Técnico Universitario will join Vinotinto to play the Liga Ecuabet Serie B] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 29 November 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Guayaquil City regresa a la Serie A y Chacaritas desciende a Segunda categoría: Así va la Serie B" [Guayaquil City return to the Serie A and Chacaritas are relegated to the Segunda Categoría: this is how the Serie B is going] (in Spanish). Primicias. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Histórico: Leones del Norte concretó el ascenso y jugará la Liga Ecuabet Serie A" [Historic: Leones del Norte achieved promotion and will play the Liga Ecuabet Serie A] (in Spanish). ESPN. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "La crisis de El Nacional: se confirmó el descenso a la Serie B y renunció Marco Pazos" [El Nacional's crisis: relegation to Serie B was confirmed and Marco Pazos resigned] (in Spanish). Olé. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ "Oficial: El Nacional desciende y jugará en la Serie B en 2026" [Official: El Nacional are relegated and will play in Serie B in 2026] (in Spanish). Primicias. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ Guillén, Adrián (9 January 2026). "ES OFICIAL: Técnico Universitario se queda en la Serie A" [IT'S OFFICIAL: Técnico Universitario stay in Serie A] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "El uruguayo Francisco Usúcar se convierte en el nuevo DT de Técnico Univeristario" [Uruguayan Francisco Usúcar becomes Técnico Universitario's new head coach] (in Spanish). Primicias. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Ávila, Andrés (10 December 2025). "¡Fin de ciclo! Norberto Araujo no continuará en Deportivo Cuenca en 2026" [End of cycle! Norberto Araujo will not continue at Deportivo Cuenca in 2026] (in Spanish). El Comercio. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ "Oficial: Jorge Célico es el nuevo director técnico de Deportivo Cuenca" [Official: Jorge Célico is Deportivo Cuenca's new head coach] (in Spanish). Primicias. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Oficial: Javier Rabanal finaliza su contrato con Independiente del Valle y no continuará para 2026" [Official: Javier Rabanal ends his contract with Independiente del Valle and will not continue for 2026] (in Spanish). Primicias. 13 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Ulloa, Ramiro (17 December 2025). "Santiago Morales confirmó a Joaquín Papa como nuevo entrenador de Independiente del Valle para el 2026" [Santiago Morales confirmed Joaquín Papa as new Independiente del Valle coach for 2026] (in Spanish). Ecuavisa. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Con el debut de Édison Méndez como DT, Leones FC empató en su visita a Macará por la LigaPro" [With Édison Méndez making his debut as manager, Leones FC drew in their visit to Macará for the LigaPro] (in Spanish). Olé. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ Campoverde, Brian (4 January 2026). "OFICIAL: Aucas anuncia la salida de Juan Pablo Buch" [OFFICIAL: Aucas announce the exit of Juan Pablo Buch] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Oficial: Aucas tiene nuevo entrenador para 2026" [Official: Aucas have a new coach for 2026] (in Spanish). Olé. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ Ávila, Andrés (6 January 2026). "Ismael Rescalvo no continuará en Barcelona SC, estas son las razones de su salida" [Ismael Rescalvo will not continue at Barcelona SC, these are the reasons for his exit] (in Spanish). El Comercio. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "César Farías tiene todo arreglado para convertirse en el nuevo DT de Barcelona SC" [César Farías has everything arranged to become Barcelona SC's new head coach] (in Spanish). Primicias. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "No va más: Guillermo Duró dejó de ser entrenador de Emelec" [He is no more: Guillermo Duró ceased to be coach of Emelec] (in Spanish). Olé. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ "Oficial: Vicente Sánchez es el nuevo DT de Emelec" [Official: Vicente Sánchez is Emelec's new head coach] (in Spanish). Primicias. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ a b Alencastro, Jesús (6 March 2026). "OFICIAL: Orense anunció la salida del DT Raúl Antuña" [OFFICIAL: Orense announced the departure of manager Raúl Antuña] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "La LigaPro publicó el fixture para 2026: así se jugarán las 30 fechas de la Fase Inicial" [LigaPro published the fixture for 2026: this is how the First Stage's 30 rounds will be played] (in Spanish). Olé. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "Durísima sanción: Emelec arrancará la LigaPro con tres puntos menos" [Harsh penalty: Emelec will start the LigaPro with three points less] (in Spanish). Olé. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "Goleadores Liga Pro Serie A 2026" [2026 Liga Pro Serie A Top Scorers]. futbolecuador.com (in Spanish). Futbolecuador. Retrieved 9 March 2026.